Last month, producer and rapper Kanye West was hospitalized after an unspecified medical crisis. Sources originally claimed West was suffering from exhaustion and stress. However, other sources claimed West was suffering from a full-blown “psychotic breakdown” and doctors were stabilizing him. The music superstar was treated at UCLA Medical Center and was released several days later. But his stay at the hospital may now cost some people their jobs.
According to multiple media outlets, an unauthorized staff member at UCLA Medical Center attempted to access West’s confidential medical files. According to one outlet, when West was first admitted, several dozen hospital staff members accessed the computer network searching for information on the superstar patient. It was reported that West was placed on a “5150 hold,” which allows a physician to forcibly admit a patient into a hospital over fears that he may harm himself or others. West was reportedly handcuffed to a gurney when he arrived at the hospital. When hospital administrators found out about the attempted data breach, there was a round of mass firings and an internal investigation was launched.
If the hospital staff did attempt to gain unauthorized access to Kanye’s files, it could be a violation of the HIPPA laws, which protect a patient’s privacy. The HIPAA Privacy Rule establishes national standards to protect individual’s medical records and other personal health information and applies to health plans, health care clearinghouses, and those health care providers that conduct certain health care transactions electronically. Fines for HIPPA violations can range from $100-$50K per violation. The fine depends on how egregious the violation is per patient record.
